DRINKING WATER
Using Biological Competition To Suppress Algae Growth
Effective algae control shifts the focus from removal to nutrient management. By leveraging bioaugmentation to outcompete algae for nitrogen and phosphorus, facilities can stabilize pH levels and dissolved oxygen, ensuring long-term pond clarity and consistent wastewater treatment performance.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![Experts Choose Experts]( "From Carbon Supply To System Optimization Services: Calgon Carbon's Total Solutions Advantage With Field Services")
From Carbon Supply To System Optimization Services: Calgon Carbon's Total Solutions Advantage With Field ServicesWhile any company can claim to offer these services, WTPs need a total solutions provider that understands GAC technology as only a manufacturer can.
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![PWA]( "Triple Threat Creates A Tough Challenge For Pennsylvania Water Authority")
Triple Threat Creates A Tough Challenge For Pennsylvania Water AuthorityA well-known university, a busy main street, a 100-year-old pipeline and a tight deadline made for a tough challenge for crews attempting to install a 12-inch AMERICAN Fastite pipe in State College, Pennsylvania, this past summer.
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![city-of-lodi]( "City Of Lodi Employs GAC To Remove Contaminants From Groundwater")
City Of Lodi Employs GAC To Remove Contaminants From GroundwaterIn this case study, read about AV's unique Concept to Commission approach which enabled a team to design, manufacture, and install GAC systems and interconnecting site pipe in just 10 working hours.
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![U Of I Urbana-Champaign Implements Remote Monitoring System]( "U Of I Urbana-Champaign Implements Remote Monitoring System")
U Of I Urbana-Champaign Implements Remote Monitoring SystemThe Utility Distribution team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign manage the water system which serves the entire campus. The University purchases water from Illinois American Water which is distributed across the campus for uses as diverse as chemistry labs, agricultural research, and competitive swimming complexes.
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Register Today: Why Insertion Valve Technology Is The Future Of Installing Distribution System Control Points
AVT is finding more and more that the number of control points added when water systems are designed are not sufficient for the current demands on the systems. So, what do water system operators do?
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![GettyImages-1353843620_for_web]( "What You Need To Know About Peracetic Acid (PAA) For Water Treatment")
What You Need To Know About Peracetic Acid (PAA) For Water TreatmentPeracetic acid (PAA) is begging to supplement or replace chlorine in some water and wastewater treatment applications, particularly where disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are a challenge.
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Identifying And Estimating The Value Of SCADA And Smart Metering Systems In Water Distribution Networks
Considering the invaluable service provided to the society by the water companies, it is imperative to ensure their sustainability. To achieve this objective, these organizations must be allowed to fulfill their mission with effectiveness and efficiency. Information and communication technologies are especially important tools in this pursuit of enhanced performance.
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![Monochloramine Monitoring]( "Monochloramine Monitoring – Reliable Analysis, Safer Drinking Water")
Monochloramine Monitoring – Reliable Analysis, Safer Drinking WaterThe Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), enacted in 1974, is the main federal law that ensures the quality of Americans' drinking water. Under SDWA, EPA sets standards for drinking water quality and oversees the states, localities, and water suppliers who implement those standards. The law was amended in 1986 & 1996 requiring many actions to protect drinking water and its sources.
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![GettyImages-182174995_450_300]( "How To Stop Water Loss And Secure Your Network")
How To Stop Water Loss And Secure Your NetworkKROHNE’s PipePatrol uses advanced pressure wave analysis to detect and locate leaks in real time, helping water utilities reduce non-revenue water and improve network efficiency.
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Troubleshooting A Sudden Fecal Coliform Non-Compliance Event
A municipal wastewater treatment plant investigated a sudden increase in fecal coliform exceedance events.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Real-Time Water Quality Data For Agriculture9/23/2020
We arm farmers with mission-critical water data to help enhance crop yield and taste. KETOS delivers valuable insights for fluctuations in deficiency and toxicity.
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Oxidation Reduction Potential10/29/2021
What is ORP? Oxidation Reduction Potential or Redox is the activity or strength of oxidizers and reducers in relation to their concentration. Oxidizers accept electrons, reducers lose electrons. Examples of oxidizers are: chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, bromine, ozone, and chlorine dioxide. Examples of reducers are sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfate and hydrogen sulfide. Like acidity and alkalinity, the increase of one is at the expense of the other.
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Dissolved Oxygen Measurement11/11/2013
One of the most important measurements in the determination of the health of a body of water is its dissolved oxygen content. The quantity of dissolved oxygen in water is normally expressed in parts per million (ppm) by weight and is due to the solubility of oxygen from the atmosphere around us.
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Harmonics Reduction Methods4/17/2017
There are several basic methods for reducing harmonic voltage and current distortion from nonlinear distribution loads such as adjustable frequency drives (AFDs). Following is a description of each method, along with each method’s advantages and disadvantages.
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Application Note: Water Flows From The Golden Hills Of California1/20/2010Each morning John Johnson drives the few miles from his smalltown home in northern California to the Center at Pardee Reservoir. Nestled among the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the reservoir is a long 100 miles away from San Francisco Bay. By YSI
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'TOTEX' Is Key When Purchasing Instrumentation4/29/2021
There’s a lot to be considered in the price tag of an ultrasonic instrument. Derek Moore from Siemens explains how the historical way of thinking only of capital costs needs to change to the more holistic approach of total expenditures.
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Innovative Solutions To Drinking Water Decontamination In Small And Medium Treatment Plants9/21/2017
Air stripping technology effectively removes VOCs, THMs, and CO2 for improved adherence to water quality regulations.
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Immediate pH Correction For Fluctuating Flow2/19/2014
In a number of water, wastewater and industrial process applications, pH is one of the most critical and highly sensitive analytical measurements. Examples of critical pH applications include: Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems in which a controlled feed of caustic solution is typically added to the feed stream in order to convert a portion of dissolved carbon dioxide into bicarbonate precipitate allowing for removal by the RO membrane. By Rafik H. Bishara, Steve Jacobs, and Dan Bell
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Water Treatment In Boilers And Cooling Towers10/29/2021
Most people recognize problems associated with corrosion. Effects from scale deposits, however, are equally important. For example, as little as 1/8" of scale can reduce the efficiency of a boiler by 18% or a cooling tower heat exchanger by 40%!
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Simplify And Optimize Your Process With Level And Pump Control3/1/2022
Level controllers have evolved to meet today’s environmental challenges and industry demands. Learn how they support improved process management and, ultimately, a better bottom line.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
At Master Meter, we are focused on the future of water management. Whether you’re serving small rural populations or major metropolitan areas, delivering water only or provisioning combination utilities, Master Meter is your partner to deliver game changing results across Finance, Customer Service, and Utility Operations. Master Meter’s vast sales presence and partner network ensure a personalized, attentive service to ensure your specific needs are met, and your expectations exceeded. Contact us today to determine which smart water metering solution is right for you.
Polyethylene Encasement has been protecting ductile iron pipe since 1958, earning its reputation as the most economical and proven method of corrosion control in the industry.
The DR3900 is a benchtop visible spectrum (320 - 1100 nm), split beam spectrophotometer with over 220 pre-programmed methods optimized for laboratory water analysis. With your daily routine of water analysis in mind, the DR3900 spectrophotometer is optimized for safe processes and accurate results.
The Allegro Under-the-Glass (UTG™)Universal Endpoint for Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI) is an industry-leading innovation in durable endpoint design technology featuring no external connecting wires or antennas. The Allegro UTG Endpoints are built on our patented programmable Interpreter® register platform that enables placement anywhere on most any meter. This exclusive endpoint technology is flexible, migratable, and able to operate in both fixed network and drive-by environments.
Delivers leading-edge technology to the non-invasive switch market by facilitating accurate level measurement for oil & gas, chemical, and power generation applications.
The Aztec 600 Ammonia Analyzer AW632 offers reliable and accurate on-line analysis of ammonia and ammonium ions up to 3 ppm NH3.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![tractor_sludge_Getty-2155530305]( "Why Too Much Phosphorus In America's Farmland Is Polluting The Country's Water")
When people think about agricultural pollution, they often picture what is easy to see: fertilizer spreaders crossing fields or muddy runoff after a heavy storm. However, a much more significant threat is quietly and invisibly building in the ground. -
![EnvironmentPeople_004]( "Water In 2026: The Nexus Of Policy, Technology, And Resilience")
As water systems become more circular and complex, understanding and managing the subsurface — the hidden half of the water cycle — is becoming a critical enabler of resilience. This article explores the key trends shaping this new reality, from tackling “forever chemicals” to the water strategies redefining heavy industry. -
![Cutting Red Tape-GettyImages-502421630]( "How The NEPA Rollback Will Impact Water And Wastewater Industries")
The White House has finalized plans to roll back rules under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), narrowing its focus and limiting what the current administration claims are needless delays for federal approval of water, energy, and other infrastructure plans. For water and wastewater utilities, the changes could speed up permitting for critical projects, although experts warn the tradeoffs could do more harm than good. -
![Ultraviolet lamps for water disinfection-GettyImages-1271779123]( "Setting Global Standards: Inside North America's Only Full-Scale UV Disinfection Validation Facility")
Setting Global Standards: Inside North America's Only Full-Scale UV Disinfection Validation FacilityPortland's industry-leading facility reaches 100 reactor validations in 23 years. -
![Water analysis, purification, filtration, treatment, quality monitoring, contamination detection-GettyImages-2234293664]( "Why Haven't Field Tests For Lead In Water Gone Mainstream?")
Given the maturation of sensor technology, the scientific and operational hurdles to portable lead analysis are somewhat surprising — but surmountable.
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![peace-athabasca-delta-flood-mapping-265153]( "What Is Bathymetric Modeling? And How Can It Protect Ecosystems While Saving Resources?")
Bathymetric modeling maps underwater terrain. It also helps guide planning, prevent hazards, and build climate-resilient infrastructure.
ABOUT DRINKING WATER
In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:
- Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
- Drinking water treatment of source water
- Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers
Drinking Water Sources
Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater.
Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.
Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.
There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.
The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.
The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.
During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.
Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.
Drinking Water Distribution
Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.
A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.
Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.